Saving Me Saves You
by AmandaCullen84
Summary: Corrie's sister introduces her to the mob world of Chicago, but then has to run for her life. After Dita lands in Charming Corrie ends up running herself. Will Corrie get on her feet in Charming and be able to build a new life? Once she arrives she meets Opie. He seems lost. Caqn they save each other? SOA with original characters.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of the SOA characters. Thanks to Kurt Sutter for creating such wonderful guys!**

Corrie ran out of the house, her face bleeding and ribs aching. That bastard. She should have stayed away from him like her sister had told her. Of course, Dita would have known what she was talking about, she'd had her own run in with the mob and that's what had made her leave Chicago and end up in Charming. Once Corrie was in her car and safely down the road she called her sister. It was likely the middle of the night in Charming, but that didn't matter.

"Hello," the sleepy voice answered.

"Dita, Dita, wake up, it's me. It's Corrie," Corrie tried to hide the pain in her voice, " I have to get out of town, now."

"Wait, what," Corrie could tell Dita was now awake, "I'll buy you a ticket, be at the airport in next two hours. What the hell happened?"

"Ryan happened. I had to take his knees out with a bat. He beat me. It was him or me Deet," Corrie said without taking a breath.

"Corrie, be careful, make sure you aren't followed. Jesus, I'll talk to Juice, you can stay with use or take over my apartment because I just moved in with him. We'll keep you safe."

After Corrie got off the phone she went back to her house, packed all her favorite things and her guitar and then drove to the bank and cleared out as much cash as she could. She didn't want to be traceable. Her family had experience with mob reltaliation.

A few years ago, Dita had been running hack jobs all over town. She was good and pissed off someone she shouldn't have. They had her beaten and she had nearly died. Corrie should have known then to stop hanging with that crowd, but she hadn't gotten so used to the under-crowd that she just kept on. She met Ryan, fell in love, and that had been all they wrote.

Ryan had helped her get gigs as a musician around town. He had doted on her. Until tonight. Corrie sighed as she boarded the plane and said goodbye to her old life.

As she fell asleep to fight the pain she thought of her sister.


	2. Crimson and Clover

That day they used to get Corrie settled in Dita's old apartment. It had been pretty late when she arrived and Dita had to get home to Juice. The apartment was a good size. Built in the 1920s and furnished, by Dita, in retro appliances. Corrie loved the kitchen, particularly the old stove. In the living room was soft, back leather, over-stuffed chairs and a loveseat. There was also a beautifully mosaicked fireplace.

Corrie quietly unpacked the clothes she had managed to grab and found a place in the living room for her guitar. She was starting to be unbearably sore, a lot like after you get in a car accident. She had to be up early to go with Dita to Teller/Morrow to see if they had any work she could do for extra money. Dita seemed sure the club would take care of her.

When she woke up the next morning, Corrie did not feel rested. Her dreams had ben violent and every time she woke up in a strange place she would freak out. Damn it, she thought, I am strong than this.

The shower felt like balls of plastic pelting her injured side and face. She made it quick. She pulled on a black tank and a pair of well-worn jeans. She wasn't looking to impress anyone that day. Her hair was a waits length mass of red curls. She let it hang free, hoping it would hide some of the bruising on her face and her swollen shut eye. Taking stock in the full length mirror she laughed at her one eyed reflection.

When Dita knocked on the door it was nearly eleven in the morning.

"Hey Deet," Corrie said as she stepped onto the front porch.

Dita reached out and grabbed Corrie's chin and used one hand to tuck strands of hair behind her ear, "Fucking Christ, your eye is swollen shut!"

"I'm fine. Let's just go do this. The faster I am settled the better I will feel."

The car ride to Teller/Morrow was blessedly silent. Dita and Corrie were close enough that she probably knew her sister needed some time. Corrie had heard about the club but no one in the family had ever come out here for fear the mob would have them tailed and they would lead them straight to Dita. Corrie was excited to finally meet the new people in Dita's life. Not that they were really still new. She knew all about Juice. They'd started dating right after Dita ended up out here. She had done some work for the Sons farther north and when Juice went inside she took up some of his hacking jobs for the club. She wasn't a member, but she was the closest any of the women would ever get.

When Juice had met Dita they hated each other. He saw her as a threat because, in some ways, he was better than her at his job. Eventually though, everyone pushed them together and they ended up falling in love. She was happy for Dita.

She knew that Jax had taken over the club, but that a lot of shit had gone down to get them there. She knew that Dita was pretty close to Opie who had been through some horrendous shit. His wife had been killed in his place by Clay. After that he had fallen for a porn star, married her, then found out he had aborted his baby and then they split. Most recently he had found out Clay had killed his father. That was a lot of loss for one person. The rest of the guys seemed like a likable bunch, according to what Dita had told her. She was happy Dita had found people to take care of her.

When they arrived at the club, Dita left Corrie outside at a table by the door to the office.

"I'll be right back. I'm just going to go talk to Gemma," she told Corrie.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there was a soft, warm breeze. Corrie brushed her hair from her face, closed her eyes, and let the sun warm her sore cheek. She was so relaxed she never heard the footsteps that walked up behind her.

"Hi," a deep voice spoke from behind her, "I'm Opie, you must be corrie, Dita's baby sister."

Corrie turned around, groaning quietly because of her side. A tall man with brown hair pulled up in a messy bun-style pony tail wearing a teller/morrow uniform stood behind her smiling. When she turned enough to look at him face to face his smile faded and his brow knit.

"Jesus," he reached out to her face, running a thumb along her cheek, "What in the hell happened to you?"

Corrie was lightly taken aback by Opie touching her cheek and fought the urge to yank her face out of his grasp.

"I was dating a Mob Bosses son I met through Dita. We had a really fucking dumb fight and he beat the hell out of me. I didn't agree with his actions, so I took out his knees with a bat," Corrie answered, eyes on the ground.

Corrie stood as she answered Opie's question and her hand flew to her side as she bent over slightly to try to ease the pressure. Silently, Opie reached out, removed her hand, and lifted her shirt. When he saw the bruises and obvious swelling their he took in a sharp breath between his teeth.

"What the hell? Have you seen a doctor?" Opie growled.

"No. I left as soon as it happened and I haven't stopped going since then," Corrie answered wondering at his interest.

Opie slid his hand into Corrie's and led her inside the club house. She was shocked. She wasn't sure of the rules, but this had to be breaking one of them. She wasn't an old lady, she wasn't a friend of the club, and she certainly wasn't a crow eater. The club had a lived in feel. It wasn't dirty, but it was cluttered and kind of dark. There was a bar, a pool table, some chairs and tables. Opie led Corrie towards the bar where a dark-haired woman who looked to be in her thirties sat.

"Hey, Tara," he spoke.

"Hey Op," she replied quirking her head to one side and looking at Corrie.

"This is Dita's kid sister, the one Juice told us was coming in to town last night, could you check her out for me?" Opie didn't have to explain why, since the injuries were obvious.

"Yea, sure, Op. Follow me," she stood and walk toward a hallway.

Once they were in one of the club house spare bedrooms, Tara asked Corrie to remove her shirt. Opie must have said something to her about Corrie's side. She had some trouble getting it over her head, but she managed.

"You have at least one broken rib, possibly more. I can wrap you up to help alleviate some of the pain and I can get you some pain pills. If you have any shortness of breath you need to get into the ER. "

Corrie was thankful to Tara for not pressing any questions, though she figured the whole club would know by the end of the day. Dita walked into the room while Tara was finishing up.

"Remind me to thank Op for thinking to have Tara check you out," she said.

When they started to head back towards the car, Corrie spotted Opie.

"Hey, hang on a minute," she said to Dita.

Jogging lightly, ignoring the pain that caused, Corrie headed towards Opie. He was walking towards a tow truck. His head tirned towards her as she came towards him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied, "Would you want to come over for dinner tonight? Just as a thanks."

She watched as Opie grinned.

"Yea, that would be great."


	3. Gimme Shelter

Dita took Corrie grocery shopping and to buy a few odds and ends for the apartment. She'd needed new sheets and a comforter for the bed. She wore a pair of black yoga pants and a dark grey tank in an effort to be comfortable with her side. She made manicotti, easy, delicious, sure to impress. The thought of rushing into a relationship scared her shitless and she didn't even think that was what was going on here. She needed a friend and Opie was the first person in a long ass time to take an interest without expecting something in return. That deserved thanks in Corrie's book.

As she made a last check on the food she heard a knock at the door. She padded over to answer the door, looking through the peep hole first. Opie stood there, a bunch of daisies clasped in his hands, his long brown hair loose, wearing jeans, boots, a leather jacket and his cut. He looked bashful, almost nervous. It touched Corrie.

"Hey," she said as she opened the door.

"Hey," Opie smiled and handed her the flowers, "these are for you."

Corrie took them and lead Opie to the kitchen. She fetched some water for the flowers and then set to work on getting the man a plate of food. The sound of Opie taking off all his leather was the only noise as she put his plate on the table and grabbed him a beer from the fridge. Thank goodness Dita knew his favorite beer. Corrie smiled crookedly as she grabbed her own plate and sat in front of Opie at the table.

"This is amazing, Corrie," Opie smiled appreciatively while shoveling more into his mouth.

"Thanks Opie."

When they had eaten all the manicotti Corrie got up and retrieved some cannolis from the fridg, gave some to Op, and sat down. When he was finished he reached across the table and grabbed Corrie's chin, tilting it up so the hair would fall away from her eyes.

"How do you feel," he asked, assessing the damage.

Corrie's eye was still pretty much swollen shut, even though she'd iced it over and over.

She sighed, "Well, my ribs feel a ton better," she blushed, "thanks to you."

Tentatively Corrie reached up and put her hand on his. Opie's eyes widened and he pulled his hand away.

"Were you scared," he asked.

Corrie thought back to that night, hell yes she was scared. She shivered.

"Yea. I was pretty sure I wasn't coming out of that house. I've seen some things he's done. I'm shocked I made it out," Corrie looked down at her hands on the top of the table.

Opie stood and walked over to her. Kneeling down on one knee, he put his hands on her shoulders. She looked up into his hazel eyes.

"Corrie, you're safe here. Your sister is a huge part of the club, you're family. We will keep you safe," he paused, looked down, and spoke softly, "I will keep you safe."

Corrie suddenly felt warm all over and wanted to be close to Opie. They looked into each other's eyes and slowly leaned towards each other. The air was thick and intense. Just before their lips touched, there was a knock on the door.

Damn it, Corrie thought. She stood and nearly stomped to the door. When she opened it there was a small box on the front porch. She bent over and picked it up and brought it back into the kitchen.

"What's that?" Opie jerked his head towards the box.

"You know, I'm not sure. Not many people know I'm here," she eyed the package.

It was about the size of a hat box. It was tied up with twine and brown paper. Shrugging, Corrie untied the twine and slipped the paper off the box. Removing the lid she found cotton fabric in the box. As she dug through the fabric the hair on her neck started to stand up. Opie leaned on the counter across the kitchen, watching intently.

When Corrie finally reached the object inside the box her hands began to shake. The tips of the fingers were grey and black with decay and the bones reached up to clasp her hand. Growing paler by the moment she grabbed one of the fingers between her forefinger and thumb. Opie stood and started to walk towards her.

"You ok?"

Corrie pulled the skeletal hand out of the box and dangled it in the air between them. When she saw the ring on the ring finger she immediately recognized it and tears started streaming down her face.

"Holy shit Opie, call my sister. Call her now," she gingerly laid the hand back in the box, "Fucking Christ, that's our mother's hand."

"What? Who the fuck would do that?" Opie growled.

"Just call Dita, please," Corrie sobbed into her hands.

Opie pulled her possessively towards him and wrapped one of his arms firmly around her. Corrie buried her face into his chest, it smelled of leather, engine grease, and soap. It was oddly comforting. So many thoughts were flying through her mind. It had to be Ryan. How in the hell had they found her so quickly? She snaked one of her arms around Opie's back and grabbed his shirt in a tight fist.

"Dita and Juice are on their way here," he pulled her away from him, "Was this the ex?"

"I-I think so. It must have been, Opie, it had to have been Ryan," she choked back another round of sobs.

"You're coming home with me. My mom has the kids, I'm not leaving you here," he crushed her to him again.

She nodded against his chest and he led her towards the couch. There they sat, cuddled up in each other, until there was a light rap on the door. Opie stood and let Dita and Juice in. Juice and Opie stood in the kitchen examining the box. Once Dita was sure the hand was, in fact their mother's, she headed to the couch.

"Corrie," she reached her arms out, " you can't stay here tonight."

"I know, I know. I'm going home with Op," Corrrie replied, hugging her sister.

Dita raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'm sure."

Opie came back over to the girls and told Corrie to go pack a bag. Juice was calling Jax letting him know about the situation. Soon the apartment would be full of Sons.

"Corrie, you just go ahead and go with Op. I know enough about Ryan to fill everyone in," Dita squeezed her sister's shoulder.

Corrie nodded and finished stuffing some things into her bag. When she reached the living room, she realized her guitar was still on the wall and she went back to grab it. No way in hell was she leaving it here. Opie watched her as she moved across the floor. Grabbing her bag he slung it over his shoulder and grabbed her hand.

"Lets go."


	4. Sleep

Opie had driven the truck and the ride to the house was surprisingly short and quiet. Once they were inside Opie gave Corrie a tour. The house was simple, but had enough space, and was clean. Pictures of Opie's kids and his dead wife, Donna, littered the walls. Corrie walked up to examine one more closely. Donna was pretty, her hair long and brown, she looked like a tough lady.

"Donna?" Corrie asked.

"Yea,"Opie replied quietly.

"She was beautiful," she smiled at Opie.

Corrie had grown up in a home where the mother had died when she was young. Poor Opie, it had to be hard. She walked over to him, in the dark hallway, and slid her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest. Hesitantly, she felt Opie's arms go around her. She wanted to let him know she knew, but this was the best she could come up with.

Opie sighed and relaxed, just ah air, as he leaned down and rested his cheek on the top of Corrie's head. She didn't dare to move because she didn't want to startle him. They stood there for what seemed like forever before Opie straightened back up and brought her into the bedroom.

"You can sleep in here, I'll crash on the couch," he put her bag on the bed.

Corrie wanted to tell him she didn't care if he slept in the bed with her. It was just sleeping, no harm in that. She held her tongue, though, and thanked Opie. He left the room to give her some privacy. Corrie sat down on the bed, feeling exhausted. She already had on her sleep clothes, so she brushed her hair and put the bag on the floor.

Lying back, she tried to relax enough to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes she saw the hand. It made her shiver. She'd known from the start that Ryan was a psychotic bastard, but being on the receiving end of his crazy left her terrified. She hoped she made the right choice coming here. If something happened to her sister because of her she would never forgive herself. Unable to sleep, Corrie decided to test Opie's hospitality and check out the kitchen.

Letting her hand gently graze the wall for navigation, Corrie made her way to the living room. The couch apparently had a pull out bed and Opie's tall frame was sprawled out across it, his feet comically hanging over the end. Corrie stifled a chuckle and silently moved closer. His hair was still loose and now fanned our around his head. He lay on his stomach, the large reaper tattoo on his back in full view. For a moment, Corrie felt like an invader in his home. It was so odd to be sleeping in the home of a man she barely knew, but she felt absolutely safe here.

She couldn't let him sleep in this uncomfortable bed. At the very least they should switch. Corrie wouldn't be hanging over the bed out here. Gently, Corrie stroked Opie's face.

"Opie," she whispered, "Ope, wake up. Opie."

Blindly, Opie reached out with his hand and grabbed Corrie by the waist, tugging her down onto the tiny bed.

"Ouch!" Corrie yelped as her side scraped the metal frame and knocked the breath out of her.

Despite herself she cried, the ribs there were still very tender. The sound of her crying made Opie sit up and rub his eyes. Confused, he looked around, trying to assess the situation. The realization of what happened rolled across his face and he caressed Corrie's hand.

"Shit. I'm sorry," he looked down at her hand in his.

"I-it's o-ok-kay," Corrie managed between breaths.

"Shit."

Opie slid his arm under Corrie's legs and behind her back and stood in one fluid motion. Even though the house was dark, he walked through it with the authority that years of living in it afforded him. Corrie looked up and his face was stormy. There was an unexpected pull in her chest. Of their own accord, her hands found a place on either side of his face. Opie tilted his face down, a confused look settled upon it, to look at Corrie. Timidly, she guided him to her lips. For just a moment Opie pulled back a breath away from her mouth. In that second she watched a myriad of emotions war in his eyes. The offending windows to his pain closed, he yielded his lips to hers.

The kiss was a soft breeze in a stagnant house. Their lips lingered as though the warmth found there would surely never be found again. Opie pulled away like he woke up from a disturbing dream, leaving Corrie confused. He sat her down on the bed and turned to walk away when Corrie reached out for him.

"Don't go," she spoke urgently and Opie turned around wide eyed, "I can't sleep alone, every time I close my eyes I see it."

Running his hands through his hair, he nodded. Corrie scooted over so Opie could slide in beside her. The trepidation was clear in his body language. He wanted to do this for her, but couldn't reconcile it. Sighing, he gave up and lay close to her in the bed. Corrie rolled over on her side, facing away from him and felt the bed shift seconds later as he rolled towards her and got as close to her as he could.

Opie put his arm around her, resting his hand just over her stomach. Corrie let her hand intertwine with his. She felt as the tension eased out of his body, piece by piece. Unexpectedly, Opie squeezed her tighter, nearly to the point of hurting her injured ribcage. He ran his nose up the nape of her neck and placed a feather-light kiss just below her hairline. Corrie shivered. Then he rested his cheek in the space where her neck met her shoulders. After a few minutes, she believed he had fallen asleep, but the she felt warm water trickle down her neck.

"Opie?"

The bed jerked slightly as she felt his jest heaving in quiet sobs. He held her so tightly she had to fight to turn towards him. Tears slid down his weathered face, his eyes shut tight. Corrie thumbed his tears away and murmured in his ear sweetly that everything would be ok, though she had no idea what had brought this on.

"I'm so tired Corrie, he nuzzled into her neck again, "How am I supposed to shoulder all of this loss?"

"Oh, Opie, you don't have to. Not alone."

She held him tight until he finally fell asleep.


	5. Thinking of You

**This is my first SOA fanfic! If you guys have any feedback it is welcome! Yay for Opie. **

Sun flooded through the curtains as Corrie woke from a fitful sleep. For a few seconds she was alarmed and confused by the long limbs tangled with her own and then the night before came flooding back to her. Every muscle in her body stiffened at the memory of the hand and she growled quietly in pain. She felt Opie's hands flex against her back as he yawned and stretched.

"Corrie? You ok?" he spoke through the yawn.

Honestly, no, she was not ok. She didn't know what to do. Ryan would never stop unless he got her, she shivered and fought against her panicked tears. She felt grimy and wanted to take a shower, but she'd need help because of the wrapping on her ribs. Shr rubbed her eyes and looked up into Opie's downturned face, his beard tickling her nose.

"Can I ask you a pretty inappropriate favor," she half smiled.

"Shoot."

"I need a shower. I need help," she lifted her shirt and pointed to the wraps.

Opie flashed a wide smile and stood, apparently not needing anymore explanation. He went into the adjoining bathroom and started the water. Corrie followed him and when she walked into the bathroom she audibly sucked in air. There stood Opie, completely naked. Of course, she had known he would need to be naked for this, but she expected to have to convince him. His tattoos intrigued her. She had her own, but the story behind most of his was obvious and it made her wonder at them.

Slowly, Opie walked over to Corrie and slipped her shirt over her head. Almost lovingly he ran his hands down her sides before removing the wrap. Opie reached up behind Corrie and unhooked her bra while she stepped out of her pants. The water was delicious and relaxed her nearly instantly. She leaned against Opie's hard chest. She washed her hair and then her body, feeling nearly new. Facing Opie, she closed her eyes and tilted her head into the stream of water.

Again, his hands found the bruises down her side. His face looked pained as he barely touched the surface of her skin. How in the hell was she ok with all of this. She'd just met Opie, yet she craved this. Wanted more. She leaned forward and kissed his chest, enjoying the feel of his wet skin against hers.

Opie grabbed a fistful of Corrie's hair and pulled her head back, she gasped at the violence of it. He crushed his lips to her throat and trailed kisses down towards the bruises. They became softer and softer; she closed her eyes and threw her head back while snaking her hands into his long hair. With the grace of a cat, Opie lifted her and pushed her against the wall of the shower. He had her hair wrapped around his left hand and was claiming her mouth.

What the hell was she doing, Corrie thought to herself. This man had kids. He had a huge heart; she shouldn't be doing this with him. Biker or not, this is the kind of step guys like him saw as an act that made you theirs. She couldn't be his when she was actively being stalked by a man who wanted to kill her. She couldn't do that to him.

"Opie," she gasped, "Opie, stop."

With a growl Opie pulled away from her neck. His eyes full of hurt and confusion. Her resolved faltered. This man was so beautiful. Her eyes traced the lines of his arms and chest. She ran an index finger over his collar bone and rested her hand over his heart.

"I don't want to hurt you," she whispered.

Softness settled over Opie's face and he turned around, still holding Corrie, and carried her back towards the bed. The cold air made goose bumps rise on her, still dripping wet, body. He placed Corrie on the bed and found his place above her.

"I trust you, it makes no sense, but you won't hurt me," Opie whispered in her ear.

Hands shaking, Corrie grabbed Opie's hips and pulled him into her. The feeling made her sigh. He lavished kisses on her face, and his rough hands against her soft skin illicited a moan from her. Opie's breathing was erratic and as his thrusts became more urgent, Corrie knew this wouldn't last long. Arching her back to allow him better access, she dug her fingers into his back. As he grew closer to release he slowed and pressed his body to hers. Every inch of them touched and he pressed against her until she was certain they couldn't be any closer and not be the same person. That closeness sent her tumbling over the edge and she whispered his name into his ear. Shortly after, he followed her over.

A couple of hours later Corrie woke for the second time that day. Opie was still spread out over her body. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. He smelled of leather, like it was part of him. Hearing the phone her sister had given her when she got here; she slipped out from beneath Opie and put on his reaper tee to take her phone into the living room to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Corrine," a rough voice replied.

She nearly dropped the phone. She knew this voice.

"How did you get this number, Ryan?" she tried to sound calm.

"I know where you are. I'm sending Tony for you. If you tell anyone, he'll kill them," Ryan laughed.

Corrie heard the soft thud of footsteps in the hall.

"Cor?" Opie called.

"Oh who is that, already find a new dick to climb on," Ryan growled.

"No, don't you worry about who that is. I'm not going to do what you say, Ryan." She replied, shakily.

"Well, then, I'll find someone else to pay for your fuck up."

The line went quiet. The room began to spin so she reached out for the nearest object to her for support. She was pale and she knew it. What the fuck did that mean? She could guess, but she really didn't want to. Should she tell Opie? Should she tell Dita? She didn't want them involved.

"Cor, are you ok? Who the hell was that?" Opie was holding her by the wrists.

"No one," Was her only reply.

The next week flew by. Corrie started her new job at Teller Morrow and tried to keep her distance from Opie. He was hurt, she could see it. She had warned him. His face haunted her dreams. Sleep wasn't something that came easy these days, nightmares from the hand and the phone call kept it from her. Standing at the front desk in her TM uniform she waited on orders from Gemma on a repo. It was her first ride along on a repo, she was kind of excited to get out of the shop.

Gemma Teller was an older woman, her life written all over her rough, but beautiful, face. She was kind, but you couldn't trust her. The good intentions she had often lead to manipulation. Corrie liked the woman, though. She looked out for her own and she respected that. She was Queen around here. Gemma put a hand on Corrie's shoulder.

"You alright, baby?" she asked, "You look like a croweater after a bender."

Corrie laughed, "Yea, I'm just not sleeping well."

Opie walked by them and stared longingly at Corrie. She sighed.

"I don't know what you did to that boy, but he is wrapped around your finger. You ought to cut the poor thing some slack. He's had it rough. Maybe he could help you find that sleep you seem to be missing," Gemma raised an eyebrow and handed her the paper.

Corrie walked out to the tow truck not knowing who was going to be on the run with her. When she opened the passenger door and climbed in she said, "Shit," out loud before she could stop herself. Opie was sitting in the driver's seat.

"You know, if I am such a terrible person to work with I can get Phil in here. I don't want to step on your precious toes," Opie spat.

Corrie sighed, handed him the paper, and leaned her head against the cool glass of the window. She did not have the patience for this. Ryan had started texting her pictures of herself. Of her at work, her at home, she was just trying to protect Opie by staying away. His constant hurt was wearing on her.

"It's not like that Op," she looked at him, her eyes begging him to get it.

"Then exactly what is it like, Corrie? You come to my house, we have an amazing night, and then you just go completely cold. How in the hell am I supposed to let that go?" Opie sounded desperate.

She sighed again as her phone vibrated in her pocket. Willfully, she ignored it.

"Look, Op, I just need time. I like you, I do. God help me, I like you so much more than I should," Corrie didn't know why she suddenly had verbal diarrhea, "I'm not _safe _for you Opie."

Opie's eyes widened and he stared at her. His fingers twitched and she could tell he was thinking about lunging at her.

"Look, can we just go do this? It is my last job of the day and I am fucking exhausted," her shoulders slumped.

Opie nodded and they headed out on the call.

They went to the truck and Opie did what he had to do without confrontation. On the ride back to Teller/Morrow it began to rain. Corrie watched the tiny rivers of water flowing down the window, barely able to keep her eyes open. The sound of it was just so soothing. Before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep.

_Corrie knew she was dreaming. Those always seemed to be the worst kinds of dreams. She was tied up and being held by Ryan and Opie and Dita were on the other side of the room. Opie was livid and had his gun drawn. Dita's hand was on his arm trying to get him to put it back. Corrie was screaming for him to go. Then Ryan shot Opie and he crumpled like a rag doll. Dita falls to her knees beside him and Ryan takes her down with one shot. Corrie is howling._

"Corrie!" Opie was yelling and shaking her by the shoulders.

She shook her head and looked around. They'd pulled over on some deserted back road and Opie was shaking her hard with concern shinning from his eyes.

"Corrie, you're dreaming," he pulled her to his chest, "You're fine, you're safe."

She blinked a few times before realizing she must have been screaming in her sleep. She didn't fight Opie. Instead, she contently listened to the steady rhythm of his heart and allowed her muscles to relax. She couldn't keep going with no sleep, but she had no idea how to fucking fix it short of offing Ryan.

"Was I talking in my sleep?" she asked, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Uh, yea."

"What is with the uh," she sat up, "Was it worse than that?"

"You were yelling for me," he paused, "begging someone not to kill me."

A fierce blush crept up Corrie's neck and into her face. Well fuck.

"Corrie, when was the last time you got some real sleep?" Opie ran the back of his hand down her cheek.

She sighed, "Two weeks. I haven't gotten more than an hour or two here and there since the night I stayed with you."

"Corrie, let me come over tonight. At least you could get some sleep. Just let me sit there so you feel safe enough," he pleaded.

Corrie sighed. Did she have a choice? Jesus, this shit was getting so messed up. She didn't want to, but she needed sleep.

"Ok, Op. Ok."

The drive back to TM was short and they parted ways when Corrie started her walk home. Remembering she'd received a text earlier, she pulled her phone out. One text was from Dita, asking her to come over for dinner. The next text was a picture of a vase of flowers inside of her house. From Ryan.


	6. I Should Have Known

Corrie stood in the middle of the sidewalk unable to move. What the hell should she do here? She couldn't get Opie to come check it out or Dita because she didn't want them involved. Shit, shit, shit, she thought. She about faced and headed back towards Teller Morrow.

She went into the club and found Chibs sitting at the bar alone. She shrugged, she didn't know the man well, but she was sure he would help her. The stool beside him was open so she took it.

"Chibs?" she asked.

"Ya mus' be Corrie. We havna had the chance to meet," he smiled and shook her hand.

"I actually need a favor," her eyes darted around the room.

Chibs raised an eyebrow and sat down his drink.

"Well, what is it lass?"

Corrie told him about what had been going on and why she hadn't told anyone. She showed him all the pictures and asked if he would come back to her apartment and check it out. She reassured him that she wouldn't be there alone tonight, but didn't tell him who would be there. Finally, Chibs agreed to go.

Even though they could have walked and gotten to her apartment, Chibs insisted that she ride on the back of his bike with him. She quickly covered her head with the helmet hoping Opie wouldn't see her. The bike roared to life beneath her and she held on to Chibs waist as hard as she could. His driving was smooth and a decent speed. She loved the feel of the wind in her face. She could have rode on the back of his bike forever.

When they arrived he made her give him the keys and wait with the bike. As he walked away he pulled a gun out of the back of his pants. While she waited she thought about Opie. She didn't know what the hell to do with that situation. She couldn't commit to anything if she was just going to put him in danger, but she really liked him. It was strange to her that she liked him so much so quickly. Maybe she really did have a thing for bad boys.

"There's na a thin out of place. It's clear," Chibs said as he replaced the gun.

She sighed, "He probably just wanted to send me a message."

"Lass ya need ta let us help you," Chibs placed a hand on her shoulder.

Corrie shook her head, "NO. This is my mess. I'm going to deal with it."

"Alrigh, lass. Here's my number. You call me if ya need anythin."

The weight of everything made her limbs feel like lead as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Slowly, she stripped out of her TM uniform and got ready for a shower. She found the ipod deck and put on some Noah Gundersen before getting into the hot water. She scrubbed away the smell of car and leather, replacing it with the scent of pomegranate. Sometimes a hot shower was the only way to stay sane. After she washed her hair, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel to wrap around her head and another to dry off with. She wrapped the second towel around her like a dress and walked through the house cleaning.

When she came face to face with the flowers a rage boiled up in her. Why in the hell wouldn't he leave her alone? She picked up the card and tore it up. Then, in what could only be called a hissy fit, she picked up the vase and smashed it against the front door. At that moment her door flew open with a loud bang and there stood Opie, gun drawn.

"Op, it's fine," she sighed.

"You have a pretty funny definition of fine. Where's your broom?" he said, noting her bare feet.

She pointed it out to him and watched as the tough bicker swept up the broken glass. It warmed her heart to know that he wanted to make sure she didn't step on the glass. Ryan wouldn't have cared. It was the little things that reminded her their relationship was not healthy. She sighed again.

"Let me go put on some clothes," she padded away.

She wanted to avoid anything that might be too sexy. She yanked on black yoga pants and a black tee. Grabbing her brush she viciously yanked to through her hair. She let the firey curls hang down free. Her blue eyes stared back at her in the mirror as she assessed herself. It would do.

When she came back downstairs, Opie was standing, arms crossed, in the middle of the living room. There was a small piece of paper clutched in his hand. Corrie suddenly felt uneasy.

"What's this?" He demanded holding the paper out.

She took the paper and read it. Her heart fell to her stomach when she understood that it was the card from the flowers. All the blood drained from her cheeks. She had been trying to avoid involving Opie. She looked at her toes.

"They were from Ryan," she whispered.

He took two strides to reach her and grab her upper arms-hard.

"What the hell Cor? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why in the fuck would you hold this information back?" He was yelling.

Corrie didn't have an answer he would understand. She was new to this life, but she could tell they protected their own. How could they protect her and still protect themselves? They couldn't, plain and simple.

"I can't answer that. It's a different fucking world, Opie," she yelled right back.

Opie grabbed her chin and stared into her eyes. The intensity was hard to stomach. Just when she was going to try to pull away he slammed her mouth with his. It took her breath away. They stumbled around the living room, knocking over knick knacks, trying to find the stairs. When the did find them they didn't make it up them. Corrie laid down on the steps and Opie hovered above her. It was all nibble, kisses, and touching. Desperately, she removed Opie's Belt and ripped her own pants off. There was no affection in this, just blinding need. By the time they had finished she knew she's have marks on her back from the stairs.

She stood, pulling her clothes back on.

"God damn it, Ope, we can't keep doing this," she hissed.

He stood and righted his clothes. He stared at Corrie, grabbing both her arms and pulling her to him. He kissed the top of her head.

"I haven't care about anything since Donna died. When Pop died too I thought I was burned up right along with him. I won't let you walk away when I finally feel _something_."

The next morning she woke with a start. Opie was naked beside her, his arms draped over her. Damn it, she thought. She was losing this fight. Wrapping herself in a sheet, she stood and went back downstairs for some breakfast. She was starving.

The light of the early morning poured through the windows in her kitchen as she made scrambled eggs. She hummed a happy song and let her hips sway. Her phone was hooked to the charger, lying on the counter. Without really thinking too much of it, she turned the phone on and checked her messages. There were four messages from Ryan. All of them pictures of her and Opie in compromising positions. She dropped her phone with a clatter. Jesus. What was she going to do?

Opie had eaten the eggs she'd made him and left. He was going to go back to the clubhouse to convince Juice to look up this Ryan guy. Opie liked this girl. He liked her a lot. He'd been so numb for months. His kids didn't make him happy. Layla hadn't made him happy, despite him trying to force himself to feel that way. Then she had stomped his heart with her revelations. It had all really started for him with Donna's death.

The only thing Donna had been guilty of was loving him. Now, in some strange twist of fate, in walks this girl who was having a similar issue. Corrie had loved the wrong man and he had broken her. He could see the independence in that woman and he thought it was sexy as hell. Everything about her drew him in. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. He would protect her.

He'd gone to the clubhouse to find Juice passed out face down in his laptop. The poor kid often worked himself until he just couldn't go anymore. He chuckled and left a note. Juice would call him when he woke. Ope decided he needed a nice long ride. The air was cool and it had been a whle since he had ridden just to do it.

The wind whipped around him. The scent of her still lingered in his hair. The thought made a smile spread across his face. There was little traffic and the ride was going smooth. The rumble of the bike underneath him blurring out any other thought, he sped up.

As he came around a curve he noticed a black Cadillac go left of center. By the time he reacted, it was too late. The car clipped the side of his bike and he went down. Flipping head over feet he managed to clear the bike. He hit the pavement with a sickening thud, eternally grateful for all his leather. The road licked at him with fire. Finally he came to a stop and saw a face floating above him.

The man had a cane and was pressing it into the palm of Opie's hand.

"I know you can answer me, biker scum, but you give this message to Corrie for me, won't you.?" The man spoke as he laid a sheet of paper on Opie's chest and snapped a picture with his phone.

Corrie was at Teller-Morrow going about her business helping Gemma in the office. She'd been alternating smiling and frowning thinking about Opie all morning. Her bi=polar had earned her concerned glances from Gemma off and on all morning. The older woman said nothing, for once.

During her first break she had headed out to the coffee tables for some sun and a drink. As she was thinking about if she could see where this thing went with Opie she heard her phone go off. She smiled to herself, hoping it was the man himself. What she found there, instead, made her let lose a blood curdling scream.

Within seconds half the mean of SAMCRO were running out of the shop and clubhouse, guns drawn. Jax was the first to notice the screams were coming for Corrie. He rushed over to her.

"What is it, darling? You gotta calm down," he took her phone from her and looked at the screen.

Jax's jaw went slack for a minute.

"Ok, everyone get on your bikes, we gotta find Ope."

What seemed like an eternity later she'd received a call from Dita letting her know they'd found Opie and taken him to the hospital. Corrie didn't want to go up there because it would make her plan that much harder. She told her sister she'd be up in a bit as she dressed in her apartment for what she was pretty sure would be the last time. The paper on Opie's chest had an address on it. She knew Ryan wanted her to be there and if she didn't do it he would kill Opie.

As she walked down the road and the black caddie came into view she thought about Opie sitting alone in his hospital bed and wondered if he would wonder why she wasn't there. She sighed and silently said goodbye to him. When she reached the Ryan got out of the driver's seat and walked over to her.

"Hey babe, I missed you," he spoke.

Her guts churned as he yanked out her ponytail and grabbed a fist full of her hair and lazily liked her neck. So he was going to play with his food, huh? He shoved her in his car and she realized they were the only ones in it. Ryan only rarely did jobs on his own. In its own sick way it was flattering.

They drove in silence to an abandoned cabin outside Charming. Once Corrie was inside she recognized some of the pictures on the walls. They were all SAMCRO. What the hell kind of fuckery was this? She glared at Ryan, hie green eyes full of the promise of torture.

"Oh this is your lover boy's Dad's place.i thought it would make for good theatrics," he smiled his psychotic smile.

"You're into theatre now, huh?" Corrie bled sarcasm.

In answer, Ryan back handed Corrie and blood flew from her mouth. She wouldn't wipe it, she had some dignity. As he crept toward her his face took on a whole new glare. She was terrified. She had seenthat look on his face twice, both times were in bed.

The sound of his belt sliding free of his pants mad vomit rise into Corrie's mouth. He grabbed her and secured her hands behind her back. All the while kissing her neck and cupping her breasts. She couldn't believe there had been a time his touch felt good for her. She was glad he was going to kill her. She wasn't going to want to live through this.

Ryan savagely ripped her shirt off and bit her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. She screamed and kicked her feet, trying to make contact with his dick. He laughed and pulled out a knife and cut the front of her bra freeing her breasts. He skimmed the blade over each one and then took on of the nipples in his mouth. Corrie wiggled and fought under him but it seemed only to make things so much worse.

Again he used the knife to cut a slit between her legs. It shocked her and, as he began to unzip his pants, she tried to head-butt him. He laughed and punched her in jaw making her head smack against the floor. The blow made her nearly pass out and she was no longer able to fight. Tears slipped down her face as he pushed his way inside her. He started to choke her as he neared his finish.

As tunnel vision set in, Corrie noticed a glint on the floor. It was the knife! In the fight the belt had started to loosen from her hands. Yanking hard, she freed one hand and grabbed the knife. The look of shock on Ryan's face as she plunged the knife into his heart was almost worth everything.

As his body crumpled his hands released her throat and air flooded her lings. She coughed and sputtered and tried to push Ryan's body off of her. Once he'd rolled to the side she crawled away into a corner and sat with her arms around her legs. She watched him in fear thinking he would pop up and not be dead.

She started sobbing, letting everything flow out of her. By the time she was done she had no more fight left in her. She laid on the cold floor and went to sleep.

**sorry about the cliffie, guys! I'll try to update again in the next couple of days. Leave Opie some love!**


	7. I Will Wait

When she woke it was night. Some of the lamps were on, thankfully, s there was a dim light. Corrie looked around and saw Ryan's body. So, it hadn't been a dream. She immediately hugged her arms around her naked chest. She had no idea where she was, she knew the Cabin was Piney's, but she didn't know anything else. She had no phone and hadn't seen one anywhere so far.

She glared at Ryan. He must have a phone! Shaking, she crawled across the bloody floor and tore through the dead man's pockets. Finally, she found his iphone. The only number she knew by heart was Dita's.

Dita sat impatiently in Opie's room. He was awake and telling Jax and Juice what had happened. His face was a little scrapped up, his shoulder and right arm had a fair amount of scrapes and bruising, and his left leg was a mess of road rash. She knew when she mentioned Corrie should have been here hours ago, he would sign himself out against orders. Really he was just here for observation and he would likely have just signed out anyway, still she felt guilty.

When his hazel eyes met hers from across the room, she knew the question was coming.

"Didn't you call Corrie?" He asked.

"Yea, as soon as they found you. She said she was coming, but that was hours ago," Dita frowned.

Brashly, Opie stood and yanked out an IV. Jax knew what he was doing so he and Juice went out to the nurse's station to get the paperwork in order. Dita looked away as Opie changed into some fresh clothes she had brought him When he was finally fully dressed, he struggled some from the soreness, he turned to her.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he hissed.

Dita rolled her eyes," Oh I don't know, maybe because of this right here."

As they stared each other down, Dita's cell phone rang. Their eyes both seemed to grow two sizes. It rang three times before it registered to her that she needed to pick it up.

"Hello?"

Corrie's voice came out in sobs. Opie moved in to take the phone from Dita, but she turned away. All she could understand was that her sister was at Piney's Cabin, that Ryan was dead, and something she thought sounded too much like rape for her liking. She was really hoping she heard that part wrong.

When she hung up the phone she looked around the room for Opie, but he had already gone. She had a feeling as soon as the words, "Piney's Cabin, are you sure?" had left her mouth Opie had gone.

Sagging under the stress, she ventured out to find Juice and head up to the cabin.

Opie couldn't think straight as he flew towards the cabin in his truck. He had no idea what he was driving towards or what condition Corrie was in. All he knew was he had to find her. His arm ached, his leg was barely tolerable, but that was all just background noise.

When he finally reached the cabin he saw the black Cadillac that had clipped him and he grabbed the gun he kept in the glove box. As silently as he could manage he walked towards the front door. As he silently turned the doorknob, goosebumps rose on his arms. He pushed it open and took in the scene.

There was a body lying in the floor, on its back, with a knife hilt sticking out of its chest. There was a huge puddle of blood. Just outside the reach of the puddle sat a redheaded woman, topless, cover in blood, face bruised, hair matted and streaked with blood, and her pants torn in several places. She was sobbing, saying something, but Opie couldn't hear it passed the rushing noise in his ears.

He tucked the gun in the back of his pant, took off his jacket and slipped it around Corrie's shoulders. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to a standing position. Her jaw was swollen and purple. Her bottom lip was split. Most of the blood on her didn't appear to be hers, but there was a cut on her chest and above her collar bone. She wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"Cor," he whispered, "Corrie, shhhhh. Corrie, calm down. I'm here I'm ok. Cor, you have to calm down and tell me what happened.

The atmosphere of the room shifted and Corrie looked up at him like she hadn't noticed before it was him. Her hands flew to his face, surveying every scratch, cut and bruise.

"Oh opie, thank god," she rubbed her face on his chest.

Opie knew she was leaving blood stains on his shirt, but he was just happy she seemed to have snapped out of it.

"Corrie, what happened?"

Darkness contorted her face. It alarmed Opie, but it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before.

"He sent me a picture of you with an address on it," she looked down and pulled his jacket closer to her, "then he brought me here. And, he, "she paused, "I stabbed him."

He knew she was leaving something important out. Only a fool would believe she was half naked for no reason. Gently he pulled her to him, thankful it was Ryan with the knife sunk in his chest and not Corrie.

"The guys will be here soon. We'll clean this up and it will be over," despite the blood, he rested his cheek on her head.

When the guys showed up they had Corrie's sister in tow. She was so happy to see her.

"Dita!" she kept the jacket hugged to her as she ran to her.

Corrie ignored the dismayed stares from the bikers as they looked at the damage. Dita handed her some clothes and let Opie show her to the bathroom so she could clean up.

The warm water was amazing. It was surreal to her to be showering in the same house she had just killed Ryan in. Opie looked haunted and relieved; it was a strange combination. She was a tangled mass of emotions. She had no idea how to get over any of this. Why hadn't she told Opie Ryan raped her? It wouldn't change his opinion of her. It wasn't her fault. Yet, there was guilt and shame simmering just below the surface.

When the water finally flowed clear, she stepped out and got dressed.

Dita didn't want to have to tell Opie what she knew. It would cause retaliation and Corrie wouldn't want that. Still, she would want someone to tell Juice, even if she couldn't.

She approached the knot of men who were busy wrapping the son of a bitch up in a rug and securing it. Opie stood with his arms crossed listening to Jax.

"Op, what did she tell you?"Dita asked casually.

"She said he sent her a picture of me, she went to and address, and he brought her here. She said she stabbed him," Opie replied.

Jax tilted his head to one side, "If there's more you need to tell us."

Dita blew out a breath and it lifted her bangs.

"He raped her, Op. That's how she stabbed him. He was too busy raping her to notice her reaching for the knife."

Opie's hand formed tight fists at his sides and he turned away from Dita. Jax put an arm around his best friend and pulled him into a hug. Dita realized the whole room was quiet and she looked at the other bikers. Chibs was staring at her, eyes blazing and Juice had taken her hand in his.

"You guys, we have to let it drop here. You see that dead body, that IS retaliation. I know it isn't as satisfying as doing it yourself, but you have to accept it," she looked at them all, "You have to let it go."

Corrie walked out into a nearly silent room. Though she was finally fully dressed she felt naked. Opie had his back to the room with Jax beside him. Dita and Juice were holding hands. Chibs just looked pissed. Rubbing her hands on the backs of her arms, she crossed the room to Opie. She avoided looking in the direction of the body.

Jax turned to her and hugged her. It shocked her. She didn't think she had ever even had an entire conversation with Jax. She slid her hand into Opie's, desperate to feel safe. Without turning to look at her, he spoke, "Let's go home."

She followed him silently to the truck. She wondered what home he meant. On the ride home, she thought of Ryan. When they had first met, Dita was working a job for him. He was young, handsome, powerful, and full of flattery. She fell for him hard.

Dita had tried to warn her away, but she didn't listen. Ryan always told her she was it. He bought her things. He allowed her to see the inner workings of his job. The trust, in itself, was mind boggling. She couldn't remember when things changed. The exact moment when she notice the control seeping in. It was a terrible end for someone she once loved.

She glanced at Opie as they entered Charming. His knuckles were white on the wheel and his muscles were clenched. Her heart was in her stomach. Dita must have told him what happened. It must completely change her to him. The thought of Opie leaving or being disappointed was too much for her fragile mind to handle. She began to sob loudly.

Opie's head jerked toward her and he pulled the car abruptly off the road and put it in park. He grabbed her and yanked her across the space.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered.

"She told you. She told you and now you can't even look at me," she cried.

Anger clouded Opie's bright eyes, "Corrie, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I didn't protect you."

Corrie slumped forward, "Just take me home."

**Sorry this one took so long! I was pretty shocked by SoA last week. Took me a little while to get back. **


	8. The Long and Winding Road

The face in the mirror had fading yellow bruises and a few new scars. It didn't bother her, the scars on the outside, it was the emotional shit left behind from that night. Corrie had lost ten pounds in the last month and a half She was getting better, but she struggled. She felt damaged. She hated that Ryan had won, even in death. He wanted to break her and he had done just that.

She braided her fire-red hair and pulled on her TM uniform. Today was her first day back to work. She hoped the guys could stop treating her like she was some fragile thing that needed constant care. Since that night they had all looked at her differently. She knew it was because they cared. She tried hard to remind herself of that, but she just felt dirty over it.

Opie had left earlier that morning. She was grateful he had to be there before her. A group entrance wasn't what she wanted at all. She grabbed the keys on the table and grabbed her lunch. She drove the short distance to the garage while the radio blared.

As she pulled into the parking lot her palms started to sweat and her heart rate jumped. It was the first time she had attempted to face everyone. She shook her hands around in the air and took some deep breaths. She could do this. It was just the garage. Just the boys and Gemma. She pushed the door open and placed one boot on the ground.

"Hey, Corrie girl!" a familiar accent called out to her.

Shit, that had scared her about half to death. She put a smile on her face and turned to shut the door and walk towards the scot. His smile was broad and his eye glittered. She loved Chibs. He was always good for a pick me up.

"Hey, Chibs," she replied as he crushed her in a hug.

"It's good ta see yer face round here again. I've missed ya," he kissed her cheek.

In the time that had passed since they had found her in the cabin, Chibs had become one of her closest friends. He often stopped out to Opie's to have dinner with them. She'd found out he was no stranger to heartbreak and mob mentality. She respected him and he helped her crawl out of the hole she was in.

"You just saw me two nights ago you crazy bastard," she cocked a smile.

"Aye, but the only thing to look at here is their sad mugs," he jerked his head towards Opie and Jax who were standing by the door watching the exchange.

They looked like they may have been waiting for her to arrive. Opie's eyes were slightly squinted and his posture showed he had been worried. She looked at the man. He was so tall; it never ceased to amaze her. His long beard had some grey, but still she loved to touch it. He had his black knit hat on and his hair must have been up again. Instead of leather across his broad shoulders it was his TM uniform. He smiled at her and she waved and jogged towards him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Corrie replied.

She let her arms find their way around his waist and looked up at him expectantly. His smile sweetened and he leaned down and softly kissed her lips.

"Ok, enough of that, this is a garage," Jax laughed.

Opie playfully punched him in the arm, "Whatever, man. See you later?"

"Yea, I'm sure I'll have a repo to go out on," Corrie blushed.

Corrie walked into the office and Gemma looked up at her over some papers.

"Sit," was all she said.

Shit. She sat.

"Look. I been where you are, sweetheart. You can either let it eat you alive and hide away like ya have been or you take control. You live your life. It's a good thing those boys out there know. I hid the same shit from them for months and it ended bad for everyone. You took care of the bastard. Just let it go," Gemma held one of Corrie's hands by the end of her speech.

Corrie hadn't known Gemma had been raped. She wasn't sure she wanted the details. She shivered.

"Thanks, Gemma. I'm trying. I am. It's why I'm here," she smiled and squeezed the other woman's hand.

"Good," she stood up, "I need you to run this repo with Opie. I'm sure you have no objections to that."

"Nope, not a one," she took the paper and walked out into the garage.

The noises were all familiar. Her Dad had worked on cars a lot in his spare time. She loved the smell of the grease and the pride they took in their work. Chibs was bent over an engine in some small blue car. She figured he would know where Op was.

"Now how in tha bloody hell am I suppose to reach tha?" He griped.

"Hey, Chibs, do you know where Op is?" she laughed at the Scot's frustration.

"I do, lass. He's in the club house with Jacki-boy," he replied with a smile.

"Thanks," she waved and walked towards the club house.

As she opened the door to the club house, the scent of alcohol and smoke slapped her in the face. She almost had to step back out. Her face scrunched up, she pushed into the room. Opie and Jax were sitting at table deep in discussion. The room was dark. Chuckie was behind the bar pouring coffee for one of the guys. He waved at Corrie and she waved back. His hands creeped her out.

"Op, Gemma has a repo for us," Corrie said as she approached the table.

"How are you holding up?" Jax asked her.

She sighed, "I'd be better if you guys would spray some febreeze up in here."

Jax laughed, "We'll get right on that."

"Come on, Op. Seriously it stinks in here."

Opie raised an eyebrow at her, "Yea, ok. See you in a bit Jax."

About half way into the ride Corrie started feeling terrible. She rolled down the window and put her head against the frame. She shouldn't have skipped Breakfast. Her stomach was flip-flopping around and they still had another thirty minutes of drive time.

"You alright?" Opie looked towards her.

"Yea, I'll be fine. I skipped breakfast."

He reached over and put his hand against her forehead, "Well you're not warm or anything."

"Yea, thanks dad," she laughed.

She watched as he seemed to be mulling something over. The urge to puke was really rolling up on her.

"Opie, pull over."

He looked at her, his eyes slightly widened and did as he was told.

Before the ride was over she'd had to ask Opie to stop three more times. When they arrived back at the garage she made her way to Opie's dorm in the clubhouse so she could brush her teeth and lay down.

Jax watched her as she drug her feet through the main room of the club house, his brow knit. She waved him off and shook her head. She didn't need his good intentions right now. She found the familiar door and made her way inside. She wasn't officially and old lady but Op had made it clear that what was his was hers and she could use this room whenever she needed to. As she put toothpaste on his toothbrush she was grateful to have this place to escape to.

For the second time that day she found herself staring at her face in the mirror. She'd become the Queen of denial in the two weeks. She hadn't wanted to believe what her body was telling her because she knew it would tear her apart. When her period never showed she chalked it up to stress. It wasn't unheard of, after all, for a traumatic event to mess with that. She should have known better. It was last week when she started being able to smell everything and her breast had started to be tender that she kicked the denial into high gear. After this morning, though, she couldn't be Queen of that land anymore.

She woke from her nap with a horrible taste in her mouth. It made her stomach roll and she fought the urge to vomit; after a lengthy battle it was Corrie one, vomit zero. She had to talk to someone, but there were really only two people she trusted anymore and the first one was the person she was trying to avoid giving this information to. She knew it was more likely that, if she was pregnant, Opie was the father. They had been getting it on, unprotected, since she got here. Neither one of them had thought that through, but when you were constantly falling all over each other you didn't really plan.

She went to find Chibs, still working on the same blue car. He'd apparently made some headway with it as there were parts lying everywhere. She watched as he tucked some of his brown hair behind his ear and unceremoniously beat the car with a wrench.

"Hey, Chibs, you got a minute?" she yelled.

"For you lass, always," he grinned and dropped the wrench.

He followed her out to Opie's truck and they got inside. She trusted the Scot completely. Like a father or a brother. Both her hands raked through her hair as she took a shaky breath. Chibs watched her, expectantly, but she had no fucking clue how to start this conversation.

"Lass, just spit it out," he proded.

"Chibs, I think I'm pregnant," she watches him out of the corner of her eye.

It seems like his first reaction is happiness and he opens his mouth to speak just as something seems to dawn on him. His smile fades and he places and hand on Corrie's leg. She still hasn't gotten used to the way the Scot has no boundaries with touching. As the storm darkens on his face, she knows he has connected the dots in his mind.

"Oh, love, have ya told Opie yet?" he asks.

"Of course not, Chibs, I only just stopped trying to convince myself I'm not. I haven't even actually taken a test yet," everything falls out in one breath.

"Well, what are ya waitin for? Go, take it. Decide what you're gonna do, but know tha Opie's lost a lot. If there is even a chance tha wee babe is his, he's goin ta want it. Hell, it would be a godsend for him," he shakes his head.

Corrie silently nods her head as the finality of the situation weighs on her. The rough feel of Chibs' lips on her cheek makes her emotions run forward. Just as the scot shuts the door, she bursts into tears. If she could bring Ryan back to life just for the satisfaction of killing him again, she would.

Without telling anyone where she is going, she put the truck in reverse and leaves TM. Whatever the outcome she knows in her heart she has to tell Opie.

"Hey, Jax, have you seen Cor anywhere? I just went to see if she wanted some lunch but Gemma said she'd sent her to lie down because she looked terrible," Opie's eyes scanned the clubhouse.

"Uh, yea man, she was headed toward your dorm last time I saw her. Not sure if she is still there or not though. She did look kind of bad," Jax shrugged.

Concerned, Opie made his way to his dorm. The door creaked open and he found that the bed had, in fact been slept in at some point. She wasn't there anymore, though. No one was in the bathroom either. He sighed. He didn't know how to get her to open back up to him after what happened. He knew she loved him, but it was hard to keep that in focus when she was always shrugging away from him. He knew it wasn't her fault, but it still hurt.

"Hey man, I'm going to head home. Maybe she went there. If you guys need me hit up the cell," he nodded to Jax as he left.

He threw his leg over his dyna and started it. The familiar vibrations and rumble made him feel right at home. He drove through the gate and off towards the house. His mind wandered to Donna as he drove. He missed her. He always would and Corrie was one of the first girls to really get that. She didn't see it as sharing him with a dead woman. She knew that to have a place in his home she had to honor the place Donna used to have. He knew that her mom dying had a lot to do with that. Still, he was so grateful for her understanding that the thought made a smile break across his face.

When Opie had come across Lyla after she left, one of the last things she had said to him was that a relationship would never work until Donna was dead. It had wounded him more than she knew. He began to believe that maybe he wasn't really capable of loving anyone anymore. Then his Pop had been killed. His rage nearly ate him alive and he only barely had it in check now. Clay deserved to die and Opie wanted to be the one to deliver him to death.

When the redheaded girl with the bruised up face had wandered into his path that day he had no idea she would fit so perfectly into the hole in his heart. He had watched her as she gingerly sat herself on the bench as Dita went inside to talk to Gemma. The sun had lit her hair up like a flame. He was drawn towards her and, before he knew it, he was walking right up to her.

Now he just wanted so badly to keep her that it hurt. He didn't want to go back to being a cold, unfeeling man with a deathwish. He loved that Corrie got him back into his children's lives. He loved that she made him want to have dinner sitting around the table and not just drink his dinner at the clubhouse. Jax had seen the difference. He had encouraged him at every step. The girl was a keeper.

When he pulled into the driveway he saw her red hair in the window. She seemed to be sitting in the living room. The kids weren't due home for at least an hour yet and he couldn't help but wonder why she was sitting there. He put down his kickstand and went inside.

"Hey," he pulled of his gloves, "I was worried about you."

She looked pale and drawn. Her knees were hugged to her chest and her eyes didn't brighten when she smiled.

"I had to go do something. Come sit with me Op," she patted the seat on the couch beside her.

The sound of his boot thudding across the floor seemed almost ominous to him. His chest constricted and he waited for the other shoe to drop as he sat beside her.

"Op, this isn't easy for me to tell you and, honestly, I wasn't sure if I wanted to. I know once I say this I can't take it back and you will want me to keep this up," she looked him in the eyes.

Confusion griped his heart. He nodded.

"I've been denying it to myself for weeks now, but," she paused, searching for words," well, just see your yourself."

She handed him a white stick and his heart skipped a beat. The digital display had the word pregnant clear as day. He looked at Corrie with his mouth wide open.

"How long," he asked, trying to do the math in his head.

She shook her head as tears fell, "Long enough, Opie."

As soon as the meaning sunk in his joy fell, he knew it was unlikely, but that baby could be the mob boss's. He grabbed Corrie and held her tightly to him as she sobbed.

**Ok, here's another update! I appreciate all the feed back. Thanks guys!**


	9. When it Rains

Opie was on a run with the boys and Corrie had been home alone with Ellie and Kenny. She loved the kids and they seemed to be fond of her. Opie had been gone nearly two weeks and Corrie missed him desperately. They hadn't told anyone, except Chibs, even Corrie's sister didn't know. The morning sickness was hard on her. Still, she got up, got the kids ready for school, and went to work.

Every day she got a call from Opie and a call from Chibs. She was trying so hard to be excited so that Opie could be. He held back because he knew how she felt. It made her feel terrible. She would have been excited if there was no chance it could have been Ryan's. She alternated between loving it and being certain she was carrying a monster.

This grey, rainy day, however, was the day the boys were due home. All the wives were at the clubhouse waiting for them. She wasn't a wife, but she was going all the same. She'd gotten up early to make a pot of spaghetti for everyone. The children were being picked up by Mary and Dita would be at the clubhouse too. She packed the big pot into the truck and was on her way.

When she arrived everyone was milling around in the parking lot. She spotted her sister. She was wearing jeans, black boots, a black tee, and her thick black hair was in a pony tail. Dita came jogging across the lot to help Corrie with the pot.

"Mom's spaghetti?" she asked, a hopeful look in her eye.

"Yep, made enough for a small army," Corrie laughed.

"You need to make that much here," Dita replied.

Gemma made the girls set the pot on a table and made the prospects take it into the kitchen.

"Now don't you eat any of that yet!" she yelled.

Gemma hugged Corrie and walked over to talk to Tara, Jax's wife. Dita and Corrie snagged two chairs just under the awning so they could have some shade. Dita was telling Corrie about her latest hack job and how jealous Juice was of her speed. They laughed and carried on. Corrie couldn't fully relax and the smiles never reached her eyes. She needed Opie.

"You alright, sis?" Dita's brows furrowed.

"Oh, what? Yea."

"What aren't you telling me," Dita leaned in and put her hands on Corrie's knees.

Corrie let out a sigh and hugged herself.

"I'm pregnant."

Dita's face lit up,"What? That's fantastic!"

"Deet, we don't know if it's Opie's or if it's, R-R-Ry," Corrie started crying.

"Oh my god. I didn't even think. Corrie, I'm so sorry," she hugged her distraught sister.

As the sisters sat embracing the familiar roar of bikes rolled into the lot. The boys backed their bikes into their spots. She quickly scanned the crowd for Opie. His leather was dusty, his hair up in his black hat, he looked weary. As he passed Piney's bike he rand his hand across it. The sadness in his eyes was almost overwhelming. Then she saw his eyes dart to Clay who had been here with the old ladies because of his injuries. She could see the rage boiling just beneath the surface. His hand twitched toward his gun.

Corrie rose and swiftly made her way to Opie. She placed her hand on his and he looked down at her. The fog in his eyes dissipating, he pulled her close enough to hide his large hand resting protectively on her stomach. She forced a smile and he kissed her lips.

"I missed you, baby," he kissed her harder.

"I love you," she spoke into his mouth.

Before she knew it, her hands had moved under his hat and firmly knotted into his hair.

"Lets go home,"he breathed.

She nodded and headed towards the truck.

She beat Opie to the house by a few minutes. She took the time to eye herself in the mirror. Even though she was only eight weeks along she felt like she was a little rounder. Tilting her head she pulled up her shirt and ran her hand along her belly. The thud of Opie's boots startled her and she jerked around. He walked up behind her.

"No, don't ever be afraid of me," he whispered.

He raised her shirt and ran his own hand down the slightly rounded plane of her belly. The image in mirror hurt Corrie's heart. A man and what he believed was the mother of his child. The man happy and gentle, leaving the woman in awe. It was a lie. Corrie burst into tears again; damn hormones.

"Cor, Cor, calm down," Opie scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom and laid with her on the bed, "Cor, we'll make this work. I don't give a damn who the kid was made by, if it belongs to you then it belongs to me."

Her heart nearly stopped. He was absolutely serious. Still, she didn't know if she could handle the emotional turmoil this was causing her. She WANTED what she saw in the mirror. That family is all her heart was yearning for, but every time she dared to think about it she imagined what would happen if this baby was Ryan's.

"Corrine Francesca Desantis," he gently forced her to look into his eyes, " I will not go anywhere. You are my heart. You are the only reason I didn't shoot Clay dead where he stands today. The only reason I have hope."

Slowing her tears to a sniffle she sat on top of Opie and studied his features. His pointed nose, the light freckles spread across it. She let her hands just feel his beard. She heard his sharp intake of breath and she leaned forward to kiss the base of his neck. Again her hands found their favorite place in his hair. She moved her efforts to his lips.

"I love you," she whispered.

His hands ghosted up her sides, removing her shirt. For a minute her breathing became shallow and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Ever since Ryan she'd had this reaction, it made her angry. She growled and launched herself at Opie. Nipping at his ears and his neck, she pulled his hair, hard, to get better access. The moan she was rewarded with made her feel powerful. Gently, Opie raised her up and removed the rest of her clothes. Hurriedly she returned the favor.

She tried to be in charge, she wanted rough, but Opie kept rolling her to the bottom. The last time he had gone at her with abandon was on the steps in her apartment. After he found out what Ryan had done his whole style had changed. Gentle was nice, but she _needed _to feel the passion she knew he was capable of. Frustrated, she bit into his bottom lip during his attempt to sweetly kiss her.

"Damn it, Op, you're not going to break me," she snatched up his pony tail and yanked his head to the side.

His eyes were wide with shock and recognition as she bit his earlobe. A feral groan emanated from deep within Opie. He grabbed two handfuls of Corrie's hair and forced her to arch up to him. He kissed his way from her navel to her collar bone as she scratched her fingers down his thighs. With a brute force he entered her. The relief of him finally just physically claiming her made tears slip from her eyes. As he continued his proclamation that she belonged to him he kissed away her tears.

When he finally collapsed on the bed beside her she felt like she had reclaimed part of herself.

The reflection in the mirror had a very round protruding stomach. At only twelve weeks she was struggling to hide the obvious. She thought she'd have more time. She had only just made her first doctor's appointment, for today, earlier this week. Opie played with his beard as he stared at her.

"Donna never got this big so fast," he smiled and placed his hand protectively over her stomach.

"Oh, gee, thanks. Why don't you just start fitting me for curtains," she cocked her head to one side.

"I think it's sexy," he grinned as he purred in her ear.

She shivered, "We don't have time for this Op. We're going to be late."

She yanked down the long sleeved reaper crew shirt he'd let her use to try to cover her bump. Apparently it wasn't exactly allowed for the girlfriends and wives to wear the reaper crew shirt in public, but just like everything else, Opie didn't seem to give a damn. If it made her feel better he would allow it. Again, she ran her hands down her middle and pulled the shirt tight. Today would help determine if there really was a chance Ryan was the father.

When they walked into the office all eyes flew to Opie. In Charming the SAMCRO boys were known by everyone. Some looked at them with fear, others respect. In this room there was a healthy mix of both. Though she was used to it, the fact that he was wearing his cut and his hair was down probably wasn't helping to ease the ones who were frightened by him. She sighed and tucked her hand in his as they sat and waited to be called back; if they knew how great this man was, they wouldn't be afraid.

It seemed like they waited forever when the nurse finally called her name. They stood together, Opie all jingling chains and creaking leather; it was a sound she loved. The nurse showed them to a room and handed Corrie the gown and little paper sheet and left.

"How do they expect you to cover up with this?" Opie held the paper sheet in his fist.

"You've been down this road before. Just shut it and give me my sheet of tissue paper," she chuckled.

She knew he was trying to lighten the mood for her benefit. The night before she had a nightmare about Ryan for the first time in weeks. She could see the same concern lingering in his eyes as she saw when he shook her awake. As she settled on the table Opie grabbed a chair and put it right beside her. His hand covered hers and she felt a little more secure.

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Mathews," the female doctor spoke, immediately eyeing Opie, "We're going to check some things and then go from there. According to the date of your last menstrual cycle you should be about 12 weeks along, right?"

Corrie nodded as the doctor pushed and prodded her belly. She could see Opie fidgeting in his seat. God help the doctor if Corrie let on how uncomfortable she was. A smile spread across her.

"Well, I want to go ahead and do an ultrasound to confirm. Your fundal height is measuring a little farther along so that should help accurately pin point a due date for you. Give me just a minute to get the machine ready and get my assistant," the doctor hit a button and the ultrasound machine whirred to life.

After Dr. Mathews left the room Opie looked nervously at Corrie.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure, Op," she frowned.

The doctor burst back into the room just as they started their conversation. She introduced her assistant and dimmed the light. The gel was warm as it spread across Corrie's belly. Just as the wand came up against her skin she covered her eyes with her hands. It was just too real. The dotor switched on the sound and a whooshing sound filled the room.

"Oh my god," Opie breathed.

Fear constricted Corrie's heart and she clamped her eyes shut tighter; he was not filling her with confidence.

"Well, that explains it," she could hear the smile in the doctor's voice, "There is baby A and here is baby B."

Corrie's hands dropped as all the strength drained from her body. She still refused to open her eyes. Opie's gentle hands cradled her face.

"Cor, look. Open your eyes. They are perfect. I'm so proud of you," he tried to have an intimate moment with her in front of the other women.

She opened her eyes and focused on Opie's face. It looked like he was crying. She had to look again and reached out and touch his face to be sure the tears were real. Lovingly, Opie turned her head toward the monitor. There, on the screen, were two little heads. They were absolutely amazing. The doctor went through and did the normal checks. Everything looked fine.

"Look like they were probably conceived within 24 hours of each other. They don't share the same sac and sometimes that means that the other egg dropped shortly after the other resulting in different conception times. It was probably sometime between 15 and 17 of that month. "

Corrie's heart stopped. The week she was raped, the babies were conceived the week she was raped. She started sobbing uncontrollably. Opie wrapped his arms around her and the Doctor looked on absolutely shocked. Opie looked like someone had knocked all the wind out of him.

"How possible is it that the babies could have different fathers?" he blurted trying to hold on to a shred of hope.

The doctor quirked an eyebrow, "It's rare, one in every thirteen thousand, but it can happen. Is there something we should be aware of?"

The doctor was trying to be firm, but all she accomplished was making Opie angry as Corrie cried harder.

"She was raped that week, but she was with me as well," he growled at her.

"Oh. Goodness. Well, we can do tests once the babies are here. There is really no way to tell until they arrive," the doctor faltered, "Let me do some final checks and print some pictures and then we'll release you," she swished the wand around her belly, "I know it's early, but would you like to know the sex?"

Corrie was so distraught she looked to Opie and shrugged. He sighed.

"Yea," he replied.

"Baby A is a boy and baby B is a girl," the doctor offered Opie a smile.

They flipped the light back on and handed Opie the pictures. Corrie watched as he thanked them and shut the door behind her. Gently he helped Corrie up and she put her clothes back on. She could tell he was angry and disappointed, but she also saw complete adoration on his face when he looked at those babies' pictures. She latched on to that and it kept her afloat.

"Can I see them," she asked.

Opie smiled and handed it to her. There in black and white was absolute confirmation of both heaven and hell for Corrie. Despite herself love was growing in her for these babies. Every time she saw Opie's sure face she felt more secure. At least she could hold on to the hope that at least one of them would be Opie's.

"I guess we should start telling people," she sighed.

"Yea, I guess so," he smiled.

"Op, they're all going to know they might not be yours," the words came out ragged.

"But now you and I know that it's possible for at least one of them to be mine for sure, hold on to that. As far as I am concerned they are mine. I don't give a damn because they are yours and that makes them mine, too."

**In case you guys haven't noticed already, all of my chapter titles are songs. I chose the song by what I used to help me write the most intense parts of the chapter. This way you guys can listen to the song while you read if you like! This chapter took some research. It is actually possible to have a set of twins with two different fathers. That doesn't mean that will be the case here, but yea, it's possible!**


	10. Lover is Childlike

**The only character I own is Corrie. Just in case I haven't mentioned it before, all my chapter titles are songs. Usually it's the song I listened to the most to write the chapter. Sorry the update took so long! Opie loves reviews!**

The next day they got the kids ready for school together. Opie cooked while Corrie sat with the kids and showed them the ultrasound pictures of the babies. Ellie seemed over the moon with the idea. She asked a million questions and tried to convince Opie to let the babies sleep in her room. Opie smiled.

Once the kids were on the bus, Corrie and Opie got ready for work. They had gone clothes shopping after the doctor's appointment. Even Opie had really had no clue how big she had gotten under her baggie clothes. She wasn't huge, but it was really visible if she wore clothes that fit. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a grey, tight, tee to wear under her Teller/Morrow shirt.

"The guys are going to flip the fuck out when they see you," he laughed hard as he rubbed her belly.

She sighed, that was exactly what she was afraid of.

Instead of riding separately, they rode together. She was beginning to feel like she was on watch or something. It was frustrating. When they got to TM he got out and walked around to her side, offering her his hand. Corrie accepted it; she was short and now she was also clumsy. They walked hand in hand to the garage.

"Mornin, Op," Jax nodded, barely paying attention.

Mornin, Brother," he replied.

Jax smiled at Corrie and continued to walk about three steps. His shoulders straightened and he turned on his heel, gawking at Corrie. A huge smile exploded on his face.

"Well, well aren't we good at hiding things," he crossed his arms over his chest, "By the looks of it you jumped her the day she showed up on our doorstep."

Jax laughed until he saw Corrie turn bright red and Opie pull her closer.

"Nah, man. She's having twins," Opie smiled, but his eyes held a warning.

"Oh, that's fantastic," he slapped Opie on the shoulder.

This time the smile was genuine, "Yea, man. I know."

Jax leaned in and kissed Corrie on the cheek.

"You do a good job keeping that boy sane. You're family here now, don't ever forget that," Jax laid a hand on Opie's shoulder and then went about his business.

Corrie snuck a glance up at Opie, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Everyone seemed to think she was an amazing thing for Opie, but all she could see was all the disappointment she was causing him. Sighing, she leaned into him.

"You ok?" he asked concerned.

"Yea, I'm with you, aren't I?" she forced a smile.

He kissed her and dropped her off outside the door of the office. She was certain he would pop in throughout the day. The news that it was twins seemed to make her extra fragile in his eyes. She stood outside of the door for a moment gathering courage to face Gemma. Finally, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Morning, sweetheart," Gemma spoke looking at some papers.

"Morining," Corrie replied, making her way over to the stack of repo papers so she could start getting people on them.

Gemma looked up and gave Corrie the once over, "Holy Christ, how did you hide that?"

"It wasn't hard," Corrie's muscles tensed, "I haven't been pregnant long. It's twins."

Gemma was quick, Corrie watched the information be processed and the concern flit across her face then disappear just as quickly.

"Well I bet Opie is over the moon," she smiled.

"He is," Corrie replied.

"Does he know yet?" Gemma pushed her toe over the line.

Guilt weighed heavy over Corrie, "Yes."

"The boy has been through a lot. He can handle this," she smiled at Corrie.

"I hope so," she sighed.

Opie worked on the bike in front of him without really seeing it. All he could think about was Corrie and what he could do to show her that he was not going anywhere. He wouldn't lie, the thought that one or both of those babies weren't his scared him half to death. He _wanted _them to his. He had never wanted something so much in his life. He _needed _this.

After Donna he tried so hard to feel _something_. It was like he was in that box with her. Then there was Lyla, he'd married her hoping he would grow to love her. That had been a fucking mistake. When Corrie came into the picture he was about to give up, go back into reckless mode and hope someone ended it for him. Again, he thought, he _needed _this.

Jax walked up behind Opie laying a hand on the man's shoulder.

"What's eating you, Ope?" Jax asked as he leaned against a work bench.

Opie stared at him, "I think you know or you wouldn't be over here."

Jax nodded, "You always did know me," he smiled, "Why haven't you told her that it does upset you?"

Opie put down the tools in his hands and stood to his full height. He crossed his arms and thought about his answer. Was he trying to protect her? Was he trying to hide the truth from himself? He sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know," he shook his head, "She was so upset when she realized they might not be mine. I can't imagine how it must feel to be carrying the child of a man who did something like that to you. I guess I think if I believe it enough, she will too and then she won't be so devastated," his shoulders slumped, "It's been so long since her eyes had that spark. I'm worried Jax. If I lose her," he paused, "I just can't go back to where I was again."

Jax walked over to the giant and placed a hand on each of his shoulders.

"Brother, I know. I don't want you to go back there either. If I lost you I'd lose myself," he pulled him into a hug.

Opie had gone home before her. Gemma had asked her to stay and help with some paper work. The paper work only took about an hour and then she got Chibs to give her a ride home. Opie wouldn't be happy she was on the back of a bike, but it wasn't far and she trusted the Scot. When the pulled up and she got off the bike, Chibs said his goodbyes, and placed a hand lovingly on her round belly. She smiled, kissed his cheek, and walked towards the house.

Everything was quiet; it was odd for this time of the evening. She wondered where the kids were as she unlocked the door. Closing the door behind her, she placed her keys on a hook . Upon inspection the house was dark, but she could hear soft music coming from somewhere. Slowly, feeling her way through the dark house, she followed the music to its source.

The soft glow of candle light shone into the hall from their bedroom. Curious, she entered the room. The bed that Donna and Opie had shared was gone. In its place was a dark wood, four poster bed. She knew that it was a huge thing for the bed to be gone, like he was finally letting her go. The wood felt smooth under her fingertips as she lazily let them glide over the wood.

There were candles absolutely everywhere. A soft smile spread over her face. How long had he planned this? Hearing the unmistakable thud of his boots behind her, she turned. Opie stood in the doorway, a shy smile on his lips, dressed in dark jeans and a black tshirt. She rarely saw him without his leather; she drank him in with her eyes.

As he slowly crossed the room to her he reached his hand out. At first she just stared at the offered hand, not sure what to do, but eventually she placed her small hand in his. He pulled it up to his lips, the beard tickling her fingers, and placed a gentle kiss there.

Opie loved the way the candle light made her hair seem like wild fire. She was so beautiful. He'd been planning this for a few days. He knew it was time to let Donna go and getting rid of their bed was symbolic for him. Every time he had looked at it, no matter who was in it, he'd seen his wife's smiling face. He would always miss Donna, every day, every time he saw her in their children, he would miss her. That didn't mean he had to stop living.

He smiled down at Corrie, the woman who brought him back from the dead. Her blue eyes held that familiar warmth, something they'd been missing since she found out about the babies. It made his heart skip a beat. Finally, he knew he was on the right path.

Sometimes Corrie was awestruck at the love she felt for this man. She could be in the deepest shit of her life and if their eyes met she knew she was ok. Even after all that she had been through she wouldn't change any of it because it led her here. She watched as Opie took her other hand and held them both to his chest.

"Cor," he spoke softly, "I'm ready to live again and that's because of you. I was so lost. When you showed up in that garage it was like someone turned on the light and finally showed me the door. I don't ever want to be without you," he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he'd been carrying all week, "Marry me?"

Her hands trembled. She had not expected this. All her emotions were screaming out loud inside her head. Her heart raced as she looked into his eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, "Yes, Opie."

He slid the ring on her finger. It was beautiful. It was simple, just a silver looking band and a diamond, but it was from him and that made it the most beautiful ring in the world. Tears slid down her face as his hands slid into her hair. They stood there, foreheads touching, for the longest time. It was as though time stood still for them.

Opie scooped her up and laid her on their bed. It felt so good to say that, _their_ bed. Her hair fanned out around her face like a pool of living flame. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and said nothing afraid words would ruin the magic of the moment. Leaning down he kissed her soft lips, marveling at how she could smell of pears after being in the shop all day. He let his hand roam down her throat, passed her chest, and rest on her softly rounded belly. All three of them were his, end of story, his.


End file.
